Well the good news is that although part of a series it can be read as a stand a lone. I'm wiping my brow at this point. I always tend to come late to that party.

I'll admit I couldn't put this down. It made me turn the page. I couldn't stop myself. It took me a while to read but honestly a part from lack of sleep I really enjoyed it.

Its a thriller based a round pregnancy, stem cells and all that medical stuff. It keeps you interested. And keeps you guessing.

It's intense, it's emotional and it's great. Did I say great already. Opps better start thinking of alternative words.

Anyway, In my opinion you should give this a go. It's a GREAT read.

SEATTLE’S BEST . . . AND WORST.

Teen pregnancies, kidnappings, unborn fetus harvesting, illegal adoptions, emotional hardships, cold and dreary days soaked in rain, human trafficking, sex trafficking, love lost, love won, cold-blooded murders, fiery explosions, scars—of both the mental and physical type—illogical medical madness, and the forcible will to live all contribute to the gripping suspense on the pages of this enthralling mystery thriller.

Author Chris Patchell does a sublime job with Dark Harvest!

Loaded with tons of twists and turns, the poignant narrative—set in beautiful Seattle—features an intriguing, however problematic, cast of characters that are each deeply unsettled in their individual lives. The troupe about whom I speak are as follows:

• Marissa Rooney, former teen mother and our leading lady. Marissa’s life is a barrel of self-doubt and conflict that stems from her youth.

• Seth Crawford, a troubled former cop and Marissa's boyfriend. While he loves and protects Marissa, Seth still battles with many demons from his past.

• Brooke, Marissa's youngest daughter. The teenage Brooke survived a horrible ordeal at the hands of a deranged psychopath—the same psychopath who murdered her best friend—and is struggling to return to a place of normalcy in her young life.

• Kelly, Marissa's eldest daughter. The teenage Kelly wasn't given a broad role in this great, cinematic novel, but her contribution is still valuable, nevertheless.

• Henry, a brilliant computer hacker at the Holt Foundation. Henry is not only a genius coder but also an annoying thorn in Seth Crawford's side.

• Evan Holt, Holt Foundation heir, and boss to Marissa, Seth, and Henry. Evan Holt has summoned his best team to work together—though they do so on haphazard terms with the Seattle P.D.—to find two missing pregnant women who have been identified as Becky Kincaid and Suzie Norwood.

• Dr. Xander Wilcox, an esteemed mastermind of a surgeon. Dr. Xander Wilcox is also a cancerous tumor on the integrity of the medical profession.

• Victoria "Tory" Kaplan, Dr. Xander Wilcox’s pretty, young nurse. Deserving of both pity and contempt, Victoria Kaplan is a stunning redhead who plays her part well as a hapless man-pleaser and a dastardly partner to Dr. Xander Wilcox.

IN ACCLAMATION.

Chris Patchell wraps this compelling ensemble around a plot so thrilling, unnerving, and mystifying, that it will keep the reader engrossed from beginning to end. Dark Harvest is blessed with an ending so well-written and enrapturing, that the reader won't even realize they've concluded it until they turn the final page and see the Author's Notes. That's just how entertaining Dark Harvest is. It will leave you wanting more. I was loath to complete this dialogue but I had to, unfortunately, although not without shedding a few tears.

Greatly recommended, Dark Harvest is a wonderful effort to enjoy over a quiet weekend. And of it, Chris Pratchell—its creative mother—should be extremely proud.

Five troubled stars.

• It is my kindly pleasure to thank Kindle Press, as well as NetGalley, for the advanced copy of "Dark Harvest," in exchange for my honest review. 

Analysis of "Dark Harvest" by Chris Patchell is courtesy of the Review Period with Cat Ellington: http://catellington.blogspot.com/

Date of Review: Thursday, May 18, 2017

Another excellent read by author Chris Patchell. This is book 3 in the Holt Foundation but can be read without having to read the first two books. Reading all three books in order gives you the back story on how and why the Holt Foundation came into existence.

A great book with lots of twists and turns, creepy and misterious. I loved this book much better than gone girl.

This was an exciting, thrilling read. Dark and full of twists that keep you on your toes. I will definitely have to read the first book in the series. Realistic and relatable characters, great story.

Rebecca Kincaid is single, pregnant and struggling to make ends meet. A simple trip to purchase a baby seat for her unborn child ends in her abduction. Seth is an ex police officer scarred mentally and physically by his past now working for the Holt Foundation.
Marissa Rooney also works for the Holt Foundation is single, pregnant and seemingly unsupported by the father. She already has two daughters Kelly and Brooke from a previous relationship. Brooke is the traumatised survivor of her own kidnapping. Each day she struggles to cope with issues relating to that period in her life.
Seth and Marissa began a relationship when they were both single and part of the investigative team assigned to find Brooke. Each struggles with demons from the past and accepting their feelings for each other. Being assembled to search for Rebecca seems to exacerbate their current problems. They both fear repeating previous relationship mistakes. When Marissa goes missing Seth may realise too late how much he loves her and accept they should be together.
Henry is a colleague and part of the same team from Holt. He is known as being a bit of a maverick as he doesnt always follow the rules in his quest to uncover the truth.
The team discovers women; unmarried, single and expecting are the victims of someone with a devious plan and a desperate need. Their greatest challenge will be to catch the killer before another body is found including one of their own.
Henry’s character particularly appealed to me as he wasnt a follow the rules type of guy. I was stunned when I read what happened to him. By that stage I felt I knew him and he also reminded me of someone I am close to.
At times I felt like knocking Seth and Marissa’s heads together to make them wake up to each other and accept/recognise their feelings.
This is the second book in the Holt Foundation series and the first I have read. Initially the storyline had a familiar feel to it but that soon changed when I realised this wasnt going to be the standard type of thriller. I really enjoyed how the story unpacked and the twists that went with it. Prepare to grip the end of your seat at least once before the last page. I know I did!
This book will appeal to readers who enjoy a good mystery and/or thriller.

It was a excellent thriller that left me guessing till the end.

Kindle Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Dark Harvest. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Marissa Rooney and Seth Crawford have to work hard to keep their personal and professional lives separate, as the couple work together for the Holt Foundation. Helping victims of crimes and their families is the main focus of the foundation which, incidentally, had helped Marissa to recover her kidnapped daughter. When pregnant 18 year old Rebecca Kincaid goes missing, the Holt Foundation finds themselves investigating and trying to assist the police as they race against time. When a second pregnant woman goes missing, will the team be able to figure out the link between the two women and help to get them safely home?

Without spoiling the book, all I can say is that the premise was good, but there were too many holes in the actual story. There are a few moments where readers must suspend belief, especially when a particular character is able to do things that someone in their condition should not be able to accomplish. With too many side plots, the main focus of the book gets lost. I wish that the author had chosen to stick with one plot line, as it would make the kidnapping of pregnant women more compelling. I did like the book, as it was certainly a fast read, but I would give it only an average rating.

If I had to come up with one word to describe this book, I think I'd go with 'intense'. This is the kind of story that reaches out and grabs hold of you, twisting your emotions until you gasp.

The content takes on unplanned pregnancies, economic struggles of young mothers, and the psychological aftermath of abuse. Put that together with a riveting mystery, sprinkle in a touch of madness, and you have a story that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.

Chris Patchell weaves a riveting crime story, but my favorite aspect is the depth and humanity she gives all of her characters. Heroes have flaws and bad guys (and girls) almost always have some good in them. Patchell perfectly captures the complexity of human nature.

Somehow I missed book 1 in this series, and I had no problem at all understanding the characters or their relationships here. This reads well as a stand-alone.

My Review for Dark Harvest: A Holt Foundation Story by Chris Patchell (Kindle edition)
4.5 stars out of 5

It was a dark and stormy night.... :-) No, really, it starts with "A sharp pain jabbed Rebecca Kincaid's side, and she sucked in a breath". At that moment the reader wants to know more; what is happening to her?

After a great opening line, my next love is books that immerse the reader into the environment from the very beginning. This book did just that! The descriptive writing about the weather throughout the book gave this story a very noir feeling. A dark story with cold, dark weather.

The book opens with a very pregnant young woman buying a car seat late on a snowy Seattle, WA night. She leaves the store and disappears without a trace. Then another pregnant woman disappears. Can The Holt Foundation help the families find their loved ones? Are they related?

The sub-plot was interesting, too. Single mom, Marissa, is dealing with a daughter who has been through severe trauma. Seth is an ex-cop who is dealing with trauma and loss of his own. Their romance ups and downs are very human and easy to relate to. Nothing fairytale-ish or unbelievable there. Thank you, Chris Patchell! The back stories of trauma and loss must have been what the first Holt Foundation book was about, but I did not feel I was missing anything by not having read it.

Although Stem Cell reasearch can be a very complicated subject, Patchell doesn't bog the story down with boring details. We are given just enough to understand why Dr. Xander Wilcox is doing what he does. It may not be ethical, but he has powerful personal reasons (in his own failing mind) for doing what he sees as necessary. What's a little kidnapping, black market baby adoptions, and murder in the Grand Scheme of doing breakthrough work on dementia treatment, anyways?

The last third of the book was fast paced and kept me rivited well into the wee hours of the night until I turned the last page. There was even an "OhMiGod" moment involving Henry that I didn't see coming! I love it when that happens.
A powerful read that I found hard to put down. A solid 4.5 stars. The only reason I didn't give it 5-stars was almost every character was given blue eyes: Nathan's were "in a handsome face", Henry's are bright, Marissa's are clear, Dr. Xander's are arctic and empty one moment and intense another while his mother's had been cold, Jesse's are covered by his bangs. Just a little thing, really, but if something jars me out of a reading trance I take notice of what it was.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley and Kindle Press in exchange for my honest review.

A story about the evil that is in both man and woman willing to kidnapped and kill, imagine a doctor stealing pregnant women unborn kids two weeks before their due date, and an uncle who pimps out the males and females young immigrants her brings into the country, and to think they are his own family, what a disgraceful and shameful thing. And here you have two sickos preying on single pregnant women ah the pain. This book is filled with a lot of heartaches due to the disgusting acts we so-called civilized human beings commit some of the darkest acts done to our own fellow women and men, this story wrenched every emotional juice inside of me from shame to anger, frustration and a bunch of others. A truly gripping, and intense thrilling read, excellent storyline and great characters. Marissa is one unlucky lady but there is a ray of sunshine at the end.

Dark harvest by Chris Patchell.
A young pregnant girl goes missing. She's the second woman to disappear. Marissa Rooney and her team at the holt foundation fear a sinister motive lurkes behind the crimes. Lead investigator Seth Crawford, desperately searches for the thread that binds the two cases together, knowing that if he fails, another woman will soon be gone.
A fantastic read with brilliant characters. I really didn't like the bad guys. I wanted them caught. I hope there is more to come. 5* . Netgalley and kindle press.

A page turner, truly a suspense novel! A great first for author Chris Patchell. Based in Seattle, the Holt Foundation investigates the disappearances of two pregnant young women. If that isn't 'dark' enough, the reader learns quickly the true 'harvest'.

The main protagonist are Marissa Rooney and her ex-cop boyfriend, Seth Crawford. They are employed by the Foundation to work with the Seattle PD in solving these cases. The antagonist, Dr. Xander Wilcox, is evil to the core!

The story is well written and leaves the reader wanting more. Definitely looking forward to the next case from The Holt Foundation.

This was a phenomenal book. It is captivating & full of suspense!! This was my first novel by Chris Patchell, but it definitely wont be my last...

Becky Kincaid, a single pregnant young woman, ventures out in the middle of a snowstorm to buy a car seat for her unborn baby but never makes it home. A second young pregnant woman disappears & Marissa Rooney with the team at the Holt Foundation fear a sinister motive lurks behind these disappearances.

Seth Crawford is the lead investigator for the Holt Foundation. He desperately searches for the thread that binds these two cases, knowing that if he fails, another woman will soon be gone. While Seth searches for clues, a madman has Marissa in his sights. Marissa carries a secret that could tear her whole world apart.

Don't miss this exciting novel!!

Great read! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

Loved it!! This book was captivating from beginning to end! I love when a storyline pulls you in from the start and you instantly connect with the characters. I felt as if I was there for every terror-filled, heart-wrenching moment! I will be looking for more books from Chris Patchell!